Athena

Prologue

Home.

What is a home?

Is it a place? The roof over your head?
Or is it the people? Those who make you feel safe and loved. Those who make you feel warm even during the coldest winter nights. The people who don't need to talk in order to keep you entertained. Those who just by being there make you happy. Your family. Don't even get me started on what family means.

Well in either case I wouldn't know.

Beacause I have never had a stable house to stay in. So if home is place, then I am homeless. But if it's the people, well, then the answer is different.

See, if you had asked me this question a year ago I would still say that I'm homeless, but not now. Not when I have this angel of a boy sleeping in my arms and my best friend curled up beside me. Not when I am with my family.

My little family of three that I made this past year. Me, my little brother, Noah and my wolf, Cade.

Noah and I are not biological siblings. We were both dumped by our families when we were young and we grew up in the same orphanage. He, of course, came in a lot later than I did. I don't know what drew me to him but from the minute I saw him being thrown by force in the playroom and then curling up in the corner and crying I swore that I would protect this kid with my life. Then I approached him and the rest is history. We have bonded immensely during the past year and I truly feel blessed to have him in my life. Him and Cade.

Cade is my wolf. Our wolf. He is only two years old but he still is huge. I found him near the woods while I was doing my morning run. He was badly hurt and I took him with me to help him. At least as much as I could. Since then he hasn't left my side and I couldn't be happier. I wasn't exaggerating when I said he was my best friend. He truly is. And he has helped us so much by providing rabbits and a couple of antilopes for food. I think he considers us his pack.

Now, you may be wondering how we are able to keep a wolf in an orphanage. Well we are not. No one would allow us to have a wild animal near so many kids, not that I think that Cade is a wild animal. He is nicer than most cats I've seen. But still, it wouldn't be possible. I guess good thing we are not in the orphanage any more. There was a fire six months ago and we've been on the run since then. We are hiding, waiting until I turn eighteen. Then I'll be able to adopt Noah and maybe rent an apartment.

We are living in an abandoned house now but it won't be long 'till someone notices us. We can't let that happen, we can't leave this town. Not when I have just found a job to provide enough money for us to survive.

I try to make Noah's life as easy as possible but there's only so much a teenager can do. He can't go to school and neither can I. We can't stay outside for too long because we are afraid that someone will recognize us. We cannot make friends because being close to people will only lead to trouble. We cannot live a normal life, not until I turn eighteen and we are safe. Legal.

I wish I could live a normal life. God how much I wish that. I remember having a family and a house. A home. I only remember bits and pieces about my life before the orphanage. I was way too young to remember more.

I sometimes dream about it. My life before. I know I had brothers. We were inseparable. I remember how much I loved them. Adored them. But that's in the past. Now they are just nameless and faceless people. Noah is my brother and I love him more than anything in this world. He would never betray me. Not like they did. Although it was so long ago it still hurts. The people that were supposed to protect me were the ones who caused me pain. Because that was the only thing I felt in the orphanage. The people there were monsters. They would panish us for the tiniest mistake. If it was a mistake, that is. The things they did to us... God, I'm just lucky that we could get out of there before something happened to Noah. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself.

I look down at him and caress his cheek lightly. He looks so peaceful while he sleeps. Just like an angel with his blond hair and freckled nose. My angel. I kiss the crown of his head and lay my head on the cold tiled floor beside him. I already know that I won't be able to get much sleep, it's already 3 in the morning. But I have to try and get some rest. I can't let them win. I can't let them break me. I will stay strong for my family.

Because just like a home isn a place, family isn't blood. It's the people you love and trust. And I am glad that after the world took everything from me, I still have my family.

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Thanks for reading! Have a great day.
Love you:)

-A